Resources: Community Planning and Coalition Building
Provides information and resources for healthcare and social service organization leaders and providers to improve care coordination and access to services for women with opioid use disorder (OUD) in programs supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), such as health centers, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinics, and home visiting programs, as well as in other care settings. Focuses on shifting the culture around addiction and treatment, engaging women with OUD in care, and creating and maintaining partnerships that support care coordination for women with OUD. Offers self-assessment tools and metrics to help users monitor and evaluate care coordination in their organizations.
Develops partnerships between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and community and faith-based organizations. Provides up-to-date information on federal health and human service activities and resources to help local organizations better serve their communities. Focuses on supporting grassroots efforts to address the issues of mental health and youth, opioids and preventing overdose, suicide prevention, and supporting individuals reentering society after incarceration and their families.
Provides training and technical assistance to government agencies, justice systems, and communities to plan and implement strategies to reduce recidivism and substance use among justice involved individuals and promote community health and safety. Includes assistance to Second Chance Act and other Office of Justice Programs (OJP) grantees.
Provides training and technical assistance to communities to enhance their ability to respond to individuals in the criminal justice system with mental and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. Focuses on developing and implementing best practices and policies designed to divert people from the criminal justice system and connect them to treatment and other support services.
Provides training and technical assistance to jurisdictions to develop, implement, and expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support individuals impacted by the use and misuse of opioids, stimulants, and other substances. Promotes access to treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system, data collection and sharing, leveraging resources and funding, and efforts to prevent substance misuse.
Provides information to first responder agencies, communities, and other stakeholders to support practices and approaches for first responders to connect people to substance use treatment and other support services. Offers evidence-based strategies, public health approaches, resources, and program models, including best practices for responding to opioid overdoses. Considers potential challenges, such as those faced in rural areas, and other factors when implementing initiatives to support people who use drugs.
Offers technical assistance to state and local agencies and organizations to strengthen justice systems, reduce recidivism, and improve policy and practice to increase equity and access to services for behavioral health, housing, education/employment, victim support, and more.
Provides information to law enforcement, courts, child welfare agencies, and schools on how they can create cross-sector collaborations to reduce the harmful effects of substance use on children and families. Includes 8 strategies for cross-sector collaboration and provides examples of successful collaboration projects. Considers factors related to addressing substance use in rural communities.
Summarizes research examining how cultural-specific risk and protective factors can contribute to or mitigate substance misuse among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Aims to inform prevention planning by tribal communities and providers to include culturally responsive programs, practices, and policies that can reduce substance misuse and support the mental health and well-being of AI/AN individuals, youth, and families.
Provides a worksheet to assist rural health departments in developing partnerships with local groups and organizations to address the inter-related issues of suicide, overdose, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in their communities. Discusses risk and protective factors as well as data sources relevant to suicide, overdose, and ACEs. Offers important considerations for current and future partnerships designed to enhance prevention in rural areas.
Provides a brief outline of the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program and summarizes national DFC program implementation evaluation data from February to August 2022. Describes the reach of the DFC program, substances addressed, community protective and risk factors, and the types of communities served, including rural and frontier areas.
Provides guidance and resources to help individuals and communities build and strengthen community coalitions with the ultimate goal of decreasing opioid overdose deaths. Includes insights from rural communities and rural considerations.
Offers an opportunity for first responder organizations operating deflection initiatives for people with substance use disorders (SUDs) to apply to become a mentor site to provide peer-to-peer mentoring to other first responder organizations interested in establishing or enhancing a deflection program. Promotes deflection as an innovative model to support individuals in the community with opioid, stimulant, and other SUDs, mental health and/or co-occurring disorders while avoiding involvement with the justice system.
Offers information on topics to address opioid misuse in rural communities for which U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) funding is available. Includes funding for equipment, healthcare and other facilities, as well as other forms of support such as workforce development, strategic and community planning activities.
Discusses results of the Rural Justice Survey, which documents the priorities of rural communities related to criminal justice and public safety and the challenges these communities face in accessing federal funding to address these issues. Offers recommendations to make federal funding, technical assistance, and training programs more available and relevant to rural stakeholders, including justice and public safety practitioners, healthcare providers, public health officials, treatment providers, victim advocates, and others. Highlights needs and interventions in areas such as behavioral health, substance use, crisis intervention, supportive services, and others.
Offers a 2-day training opportunity to communities, agencies, and organizations seeking to enhance their capacity to provide training in trauma-informed responses to providers working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Develops local trainers who can deliver SAMHSA GAINS Center's "How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses" curriculum to justice system professionals, law enforcement, and mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) providers and peers.
Shares the impacts and accomplishments of the Rural Responses to the Opioid Epidemic (RROE) project, co-funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the State Justice Institute (SJI). RROE consisted of 21 rural sites, including their partners in public safety, public health, and behavioral health, that planned, developed, implemented, and/or improved programs, practices, and policies to address substance use disorder (SUD) and overdoses in their communities.
Interview with Precia Stuby, Executive Director of the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services in Ohio. Discusses how embedding a recovery-oriented system of care (ROSC) model in local health agencies may be employed as a strategy to advance and sustain recovery communities during periods of change and disruption.
Provides training, resources, and technical assistance to improve law enforcement and community responses to individuals with behavioral health conditions or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Supports the development of police-mental health collaborations designed to help officers safely and effectively to people with behavioral health needs and increase their access to services.
Serves as a clearinghouse of resources to assist law enforcement agencies across the country in establishing a naloxone program to reduce the harm and number of deaths associated with opioid overdose. Offers information on a range of topics related to operating a naloxone program, including naloxone medication and its role in law enforcement; acquiring and administering naloxone; training law enforcement; liability and risk issues; and collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders. Provides a variety of tools and materials, such as sample documents and templates for data collection forms, training materials, press releases, community outreach materials, and more. Product of the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) funded by a contract through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
Provides an overview of a 2017 pilot project to enhance the ability of local health departments (LHDs) to address opioid use and reduce the occurrence of fatal and non-fatal overdose in their communities by working more effectively with state and local partners. Summarizes project activities and goals and gives a brief introduction to the four pilot sites: Bell County, Kentucky; Hillsborough County, New Hampshire; Montgomery County, Ohio; and Boone County, West Virginia.
Offers information on the principles of the assertive community treatment (ACT) model, which provides time-unlimited, community-based services for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) who experience or are at risk for concurrent substance use, frequent hospitalization, homelessness, involvement with the criminal legal system, and psychiatric crises. Discusses current issues and challenges as well as strategies for successfully implementing ACT in communities. Describes examples of ACT implementation for specific underserved populations, including individuals with criminal justice involvement, people in rural areas, youth, older adults, and immigrants.
Provides a list of USDA RD funding programs that can be used to support behavioral healthcare and community mental health in rural areas. Includes data on mental health projects supported by these programs in fiscal year 2023. Highlights 2 projects that have successfully used funds to expand behavioral health services in their communities.
Provides training and technical assistance to enhance the social and emotional well-being and improve outcomes for children and families impacted by substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders and child abuse or neglect. Supports agencies and professionals in developing policies, procedures, and practices that promote recovery, safety, and stability for children, youth, and parents at risk or currently involved with the justice system and for those who have experienced maltreatment, violence, and other forms of trauma.
Provides training and technical assistance to help state administering agencies (SAAs) and local Criminal Justice Planning Boards (CJPBs) administer Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) grant awards to strengthen state and local criminal justice systems. Offers resources and guidance in a range of areas related to the management and effective use of Byrne JAG funding to address criminal justice and public safety needs.
Provides information about maternal healthcare and health disparities and factors contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality, such as intimate partner violence (IPV), mental health, and substance use disorders (SUDs). Describes specific challenges to maternal health for individuals and families in rural communities. Offers guidance and resources to help religious/faith groups to better support maternal health in their communities.
Consists of a network of community-based organizations working to eliminate behavioral health disparities and reduce mental health and substance use problems for racial, ethnic, cultural, and sexual minority communities. Aims to achieve behavioral health equity by providing links to training, technical assistance, professional development opportunities, and information sharing to address the opioid epidemic, trauma, and other concerns related to substance use.
Offers information on a week-long event dedicated to promoting public awareness of mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD), increasing community engagement, and highlighting promising and evidence-based prevention approaches. Includes a planning toolkit, webinars, and other resources to support community prevention efforts and help communities organize local events and activities in support of National Prevention Week. Helps communities connect and collaborate with federal agencies and national organizations to raise awareness about substance use prevention and promote positive mental health.
Offers information on a month-long event held every September to promote public awareness and knowledge of mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD), and celebrate those in recovery. Includes a toolkit, webinars, recovery publications, and other resources and tips to engage communities, stakeholders, local officials, and others in support of Recovery Month.
Offers technical assistance and resources to OJJDP's Opioid Affected Youth Initiative grantees working to develop and implement interventions to identify, respond to, and support children, youth, and families impacted by opioids and other substance use disorders (SUDs). Supports integrated, strategic approaches to substance use issues and promotes multidisciplinary collaboration between juvenile justice and juvenile court systems, mental and behavioral health services, child welfare, healthcare, and other stakeholders.
Provides tools, publications, and other resources for schools to provide services, support, and interventions to address opioid and substance misuse for students and their families. Includes information on substance use and related trauma among students. Discusses implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) to improve school climate and reduce substance use.
Provides guidance to policymakers, communities, and key stakeholders to develop and implement system- and practice-level changes to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Presents results from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative's HEALing Communities Study. Outlines priority populations and 19 evidence-based interventions to prevent and reduce opioid related overdose deaths. Offers resources on various topics related opioid overdose and highlights model programs, including those serving rural areas.
Toolkit sharing guidance and resources for tribal justice system practitioners to develop or enhance existing re-entry programs for American Indian and Alaska Native populations returning from jail or prison. Covers devolving a planning team; identifying and collaborating with partners; engaging clients; measuring program impact; and more. Includes best practices and program examples for tribal justice system practitioners.
Provides resources to support law enforcement agencies in developing police – mental health collaboration (PMHC) programs in which they partner with mental health providers and other community stakeholders to safely and effectively respond to people with mental illness and increase access to services. Offers a PMHC self-assessment tool and modules on key aspects of designing, implementing, and managing a PMHC program that is tailored to meet the unique needs of individual communities.
Describes the Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) program, which combines residential treatment of substance use disorders with employment services for individuals in Kentucky, with a focus on rural, Appalachian communities with high rates of opioid use. Discusses the program structure, implementation, target populations, and services provided, including medications for opioid use disorder, recovery services, and employment and job training programs. Offers lessons learned and recommendations for implementing similar programs.
Features a 6-part video series highlighting Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) grantees and their work to prevent and treat opioid use disorder (OUD) in their communities.
Shares programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA RD) to address specific community needs related to substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid misuse prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts. Provides brief program summaries with information on program eligibility, as well as how the program may be used to confront issues of substance and opioid misuse in rural communities.
Provides an overview of the challenges facing communities seeking to address opioid misuse and substance use disorders in rural areas. Offers information and guidance from a wide range of experts and stakeholders to help rural leaders develop effective prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies to mitigate the impacts of substance use on rural populations. Highlights promising practices, lessons learned, and key resources to support community-led efforts to prevent and reduce substance use and build healthy communities.
Video recording sharing highlights from a December 13-14, 2018 workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee attended by rural sheriffs and judges. Workshop hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to brainstorm ideas and discuss new methods to address the opioid crisis.
Provides an overview of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) efforts to address the challenges incarcerated and justice system-involved individuals face when attempting to seek treatment for and recover from mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). Seeks to increase access to behavioral health services, minimize costs, and other consequences related to the unnecessary and repetitive incarceration of people with behavioral health issues. Discusses strategies to identify individuals with mental illness and SUD, implement diversion programs, enhance reentry services, evidence-based practices, screening and assessments, and more.
Provides information to support partnerships between faith-based and community organizations and federal programs to offer effective programs and activities for mental health services and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery. Offers resources for training, technical assistance, publications, and existing faith-based coalitions and collaborations focused on decreasing violence, combating substance use, improving behavioral health, reducing homelessness, and providing crisis counseling to those in need.
Offers a training opportunity to local jurisdictions seeking to implement the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) mapping process to address the needs of adults with mental and substance use disorders (SUDs) who are involved or at risk for involvement in the criminal justice system. Brings together cross-system, multidisciplinary teams from local criminal justice and behavioral health agencies and organizations to develop integrated strategic community action plans to identify individuals with behavioral health needs and divert them out of the criminal justice system and into appropriate community-based treatment programs.
Outlines strategies, technologies, and successful models rural communities can adapt to support crisis response and pre-arrest diversion for individuals with mental health and substance use issues in their communities.
Discusses common elements of intergovernmental collaboration, including tribal-state collaborations, intended to assist Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) interested in utilizing collaboration to enhance their court operations. Provides a brief history THWCs, profiles of current collaborations that can serve as models, and shares resources to help new and existing THWCs meet the needs of their communities.
Provides training and technical assistance to Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) tribal grantees and federally recognized tribes to improve juvenile justice systems, with the goal of reducing crime, recidivism, and victimization, and increasing positive outcomes for Native youth. Builds tribal capacity to develop and implement community-led, culturally based approaches to youth prevention and intervention, enhancement of tribal court systems, trauma-informed care, and other efforts to address issues affecting Native youth, such as poverty, addiction, suicide, violence, and gang activity.
Offers technical assistance and information resources to help rural communities identify and implement evidence-based practices to reduce negative outcomes related to substance use disorder (SUD), including the use of synthetic opioids. Provides assistance to communities nationwide while partnering with 20 specific high-need Appalachian counties in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia to combat the opioid crisis.
Seeks to identify justice-involved veterans and contact them through outreach in order to facilitate access to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services through Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) specialists at the earliest possible point. Builds and maintains partnerships between the VA and key elements of the criminal justice system, with the goal of preventing homelessness among veterans upon release from incarceration.